


His Final Job

by November_Leaving



Category: Leverage
Genre: Eliot love, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, Love, M/M, New Family, Reflection, Responsibility, Second career, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-08
Updated: 2017-09-08
Packaged: 2018-12-25 05:15:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12028911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/November_Leaving/pseuds/November_Leaving
Summary: Ever the protector. Ever quiet. Never alone.





	His Final Job

**Author's Note:**

> This is a kinda-sequel to Routine. I've got bigger plans for the original but I was in the mood to be EXTRA sappy! 
> 
> As a commenter pointed out, I should have warned that this is in NO WAY proofread.

He still wasn’t sure this was okay. Seeing her right now would do more harm than good – for her and himself.

Eliot had been in the hospital for four days as the doctors and Alec and Nicole informed him. Apparently, Parker stood vigil after she delivered him to the ER; Sophie and Nate were in route - at least that’s what was told to him hours ago.

He’d been conscious for roughly a day. He wanted his family. He wanted to feel okay again. And only that would come with today’s visit. A knock on the door alerted Eliot, neck brace restricting his mobility.

The hospital door opened and his new, true family were framed in the doorway.

There she stood partially behind Hardison, small hand gripping her Nana’s. For a moment, it looked as if Nya would run. Instead, she turned around to face her Aunt Nicole, other small hand outstretched. Eliot’s sore, stiff body was unable to turn and see exactly what was happening.

“It’s okay, honey.” Said Alec while Nana gently squeezed her grandbaby’s hand.

His eyes tracked her as she slowly walked towards his hospital bed. “Can I?”

“Of course,” Eliot rasped, throat still burning from the days on a ventilator.

“I don’t know,”

“It’s fine. The nurses are right there.”

“I’m right here.”

“Be careful.”

The cacophony from the adults was disruptive as he attempted to look less broken. Frankly, it didn’t matter. His daughter locked eyes on his, tossing something on his bed. She slipped out of her shoes and used the bed rails to pull herself up.

Eliot noted that his little girl wasn’t going full throttle like she tended to when he or Alec came back from a job. There was no jumping up and screeching that tended to occur when she found either of her parents safe at home. Granted, they weren’t at home; he was in the hospital. He survived a collapsed lung, two fractured ribs, a cracked vertebra, and a nicked right axillary artery (among other anticipatory bruises, bumps, concussive symptoms, and soreness).  He’d have to find a way to thank and lay down his life for Parker and her quick thinking…well, symbolically lay down his life.

 As Eliot watched his daughter delicately make her way on the bed, his resolve broke. He attempted to fight against the burn behind his eyes but the pain medication had decimated his strong walls.

He hadn’t seen Nya in over three weeks. Her two French braids had free and frizzy fly-a-ways which could only mean she had just bathed and raced over to see him.

“Daddy, are you okay?” Her small voice was burdened. He could feel her knees pressing into his side.

Eliot glanced towards his partner as Alec sat in his usual, uncomfortable chair next to his bed. He barely registered Nicole and Nana moving further into the room and closing the door.

He attempted to push himself up but found his body screaming in protest. “Not so much.”

“But he will be okay,” Nicole reassured as she sat on Alec’s armrest.

Nya slowly reached out to brush her fingers against his oxygen tube. “You still can’t breathe?” Her brows furrowed and a slight tinge of fear colored her soft voice. So, she knew about the ventilator. Anger suddenly flashed within his chest. _How dare Nicole tell Ny’ about his condition?!_

But, then, what right did he have in the say of Nya’s understanding of his hospital stay? Nicole’s medical experience didn’t allowed Eliot to use her a scapegoat. He wasn’t around to “defend” himself. Eliot’s heart broke. The fear and the knowledge that her father couldn’t breathe on his own – his Nya knew too much because of him – set his future resolve.

“He can. It’s helping daddy to breath _better_ while he heals.” Alec stated.

It was subtle but the stress on the word ‘better’ wasn’t lost on Eliot.

Watching Nya, Eliot observe her bite her lip and scrunch up her little nose. That was her notorious thinking face. She glanced around the room, looking at the beeping, flashing monitors; she observed his IV line and hesitated as she reached out to the taped-down tube in his left hand. Soon enough, as if any questions she had were answered by the machinery, Nya began opening a new box of Doc McStuffins band-aids. Tears instantly filmed his eyes as he remembered their last night together before he left.

Her eyes intensely ran over him. “What hurts?”

Before he could answer, his little love pulled out a handful of bandages. She was careful as she placed her hands close to his torso, evaluating the abrasions, bruising and stiches closely. He could tell that, once again, she was considering the tubes and tape and pulse oximeter. His girl was a strategist.

Nya made quick work of unwrapping an over-the-counter bandage. Placing a kiss on the stitches over his left eyes, his little girl gently placed the band-aid overtop.  Alec reached for Eliot’s hand, brushing against Eliot’s painfully tingling fingers.

Each injury was kissed and then bandaged. His forehead, nose, an exposed part of his clavicle, and his wrist were tended to. Eliot smiled as she made diligent work of even bandaging the hospital bandages. Soon, she stared intently at his chest. “Does your heart hurt?”

He didn’t hesitate as he pushed past the dryness in his throat. “Of course.”

Tucking some of her stray curls behind her ears, Nya evaluated the scene. There were some ECG electrodes and wires sprouting from beneath his gown. And then there was the steady beep of monitors and subtle drips of an IV.

Covering her mouth with both hands, everyone could hear Nya loudly made wet smooching noises. Again and again Nya kissed into her cupped hands. She delicately placed her palms over his chest – his heartbeat.

“I can’t put Doc over your shirt so kisses will do for now.”

Teardrops sprung forth. He couldn’t rein in his emotions. Tears streaming, Eliot took his time wrapping his left  - his good arm around the four-year-old. His body shook while he held this little wonderful bundle close to his chest.

What had he done? Why couldn’t he be satisfied with the unconditional love Nya and Alec, Alec’s family, Parker, and Nate and Sophie gave him so freely? As the PA in the family, Nicole crossed the room and studied his monitor; Alec pressed a kiss to each bandage on his forehead.

“All kisseys will help.” Nya grinned as she wiped at his tears.

Wanting to respond, Eliot coughed. His throat had reached max dryness. He desperately wanted to tell Nya how amazing and loved she was. He wanted to tell her how sorry he was for not listening to the genius of his husband and daughter.

Nicole went to the cup of ice chips, handing them to Nya. “Remember?”

“I do.” She grasped the slightly large cup in her hands, chiseling at the crushed ice with the plastic spoon. “Are you thirsty?”

He couldn’t respond as his daughter fed him ice chips. Four spoonfuls and Eliot could voice that he had enough.

“Thank you, darlin’.”

Hearing her nickname finally broke his daughter. Sniffling, she delicately laid next to her father, head nuzzled into his neck. Her warm tears wet his skin and dampened the collar of his gown.

“You are done.” There was no inquisition in his daughter’s voice.

 “Yes. I am done.” And he meant it this time. Pressing deeper into his left side, Nya sniffled, fingers scraping against his five o’clock shadow. A smile settled on his mouth as Eliot was cradled her slightly with his good side. “I mean it. I am done.”


End file.
